American-based British airline Virgin Atlantic announced Monday that it has chosen New Mexico's Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces as its preferred lodging for astronauts.
The hotel is looking to hire guest concierges to take care of the space-traveling passengers, according to PC Magazine. Las Cruces officials are also planning to add high-end rooms, facilities and staff members that can speak multiple languages for astronauts from other countries.
"Future astronauts will come from around the world to New Mexico, so it's important that they experience the outstanding local offerings and character as part of their experience," said George Whitesides, CEO of Virgin Galactic.
The airline also announced that it has partnered with World Class Gourmet of Las Cruces, which will provide catering for travelers while they train at Spaceport America, located nearly 60 miles away from Las Cruces. More Virgin Atlantic staff will relocate to New Mexico and spend the next few months hiring more employees locally, Travel Weekly reported.
Rich Branson, founder of Virgin Group, originally said his company was looking to launch the flights by 2010. Now, Galactic looks to start operations by the end of this year.
Galactic aims to become the first company to provide "space tourism", and will offer rides into space for travelers at a price of $250,000 per person. The company said it has already received over $80 million from around 700 individuals, which include Ashton Kutcher and Justin Bieber.
Each trip will carry six passengers in Galactic's new reusable vehicles, which will be built in Mojave, Calif. by The Spaceship Company.
"The vehicles will allow an out-of-the-seat, zero-gravity experience with astounding views of the planet from the black sky of space for tourist astronauts and a unique microgravity platform for researchers," Galactic said.
